Every culture has different rules for pregnant women. While we were traveling through Thailand earlier this year I was about 5 months pregnant, and on more than one occasion we were told that it was okay for me to drink a bit of alcohol, even though I was expecting. The same opinion holds for some European cultures, but that would never be accepted here in China where rules for pregnancy are extremely strict. Chinese women have a special set of rules to follow. This list in not exhaustive. It is simply the rules that I can remember hearing, or reading about, over the last 9 months of being pregnant in China. Food and Diet Pregnancy is considered a “hot” condition, so to balance the scale between “hot and cold” or “ying and yang”, so called “cold foods” must be consumed throughout the pregnancy. I was therefore told by another pregnant…

Woman’s body is a very fragile and a complex system. A woman needs to spend a lot of time for our regular checks and consultations to keep a check on our system and remain healthy. Choosing gynecologist can be slightly stressful for a woman as she needs to be prepared to share some intimate information with the doctor if necessary. On the whole, a gynecologist may play a significant role in a woman’s health. China is a country which relies on a lot on their traditional Chinese medicine along with the use of advanced technologies. Gynecology in China – China is one of the most developed countries in terms of technology, but they give a lot of importance to their traditional methods of treatment. Chinese medicine handles the gynecology as complicated procedure in which they try to take a deep insight into the problem. Apart from directly treating a…

China is constantly changing and adapting to the rest of the world. However, it is important to have patience and understanding when it comes to certain medical procedures that are still new here. VBAC (Vaginal Birth After C-section) is an example of one of these procedures. Here are few things you need to know if you’d like to attempt a VBAC in a Chinese hospital: Advocate for yourself and investigate which hospitals and doctors are pro-VBAC. The doctor will be the one to give the green light to the hospital, so they don’t suddenly push you towards the C-section. Be mentally ready that you won’t get much assistance during contractions. And be aware that they may not really monitor the baby during labor: in the 16 hours I was at the hospital, I only had the monitor hooked up once at the very beginning. They did mention they would monitor…

A question that is on the mind of many expatriates heading to China, especially when going with a young family is definitely, “Does China’s one child policy apply to Expats”? The simplest answer is ‘No’, but there are some situations where conditions do apply. Implementation of the one-child policy China’s government in the 1950’s encouraged its citizens to have as many children as possible to increase the work force of China. But in about thirty years the government realized the population growth rate was sky rocketing and would only take 24 years before the population doubled! The government took serious measures to implement the policy strictly starting officially from September, 1980. The policy gives exceptions to ethnic minorities, parents with handicapped first born children, and other issues, and have more recently relaxed the rules somewhat. Interested in learning more about the One-Child Policy? Check out these books: Just One Child:…

Moving to a new place can be a brave decision for an expecting couple, where as moving to an entirely new continent like China can be chaotic at the least. The customs followed in China before, during and after child birth can be confusing for a Westerner. Understanding the traditions and customs and being equipped with as much information as possible can help you have a healthy and happy pregnancy. Once you know which city in China you will be residing, start your research about the hospitals in the area. If you are staying in tier-1 cities like Beijing or Shanghai, you can easily find hospitals and doctors who speak English and practice Western medicine. Most of these hospitals also offer parenting lessons and physical activity classes like maternity yoga. Medical insurance from your work can cover the hospital expenses, which are comparatively high than at home. If you are…

For expats living in China, being pregnant can bring up a whole range of anxieties and issues that they might not even fret about in their home countries. Such anxieties come with living in a country with strong traditions, unfamiliarity with local language and customs, and lacking a support system. However, if expectant parents do a bit of planning and organizing, then having a baby in China can be an enjoyable experience. Prenatal planning You can take up the following simple steps to ensure a healthy pregnancy and delivery in China. If you are having a baby in China, the first step to take is to consult a doctor. For this, you have many options in the country. One option is to go to a hospital that has a doctor trained in China. He or she will most likely adhere to the local pregnancy treatments and delivery systems to the…